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Local or locoregional anesthesia is a way to block pain in a specific area of your pet’s body. Instead of affecting the whole body like general anesthesia, it numbs the nerves in one region—such as a limb, the mouth, or the abdomen.

If your veterinarian has ever recommended anesthesia for your pet, whether for an orthopedic procedure, spay/neuter, or another procedure, it’s completely normal to feel nervous. Let’s break down what every pet parent should know before their pet’s next anesthetic procedure.

As Halloween approaches, many of us look forward to eerie decorations, spooky soundtracks, and costumed trick-or-treaters. But for our pets, these unfamiliar sights and sounds can be downright frightening. Here’s how to help your furry friends feel safe and secure when things get a little too scary.

Ozzie the Maine Coon is known for his charm, fluffy good looks, and loyal fanbase on Facebook. But recently, he faced not one, but two serious medical challenges that put his resilience (and our surgical skills) to the test.

Every rescue pet has a story, but Curby’s is one of resilience, expert care, and a little bit of fate.

Labor Day weekend is a time for barbecues, pool parties, fireworks, and fun with family and friends. But while we celebrate the end of summer, this holiday can pose serious dangers for pets.

As spring brings blooming flowers, festive decorations, and family gatherings, Easter can be a joyful time for many households. But for our furry companions, this holiday also comes with a hidden basket of dangers. At CVRC, we want to ensure your pets stay safe and healthy during the celebrations. Here are the most common Easter toxicities to watch out for, and how to avoid them.

Fireworks are a staple of many holidays and celebrations, lighting up the sky with color and excitement. But while humans may enjoy the show, fireworks can be terrifying, and even dangerous, for pets. At Charleston Veterinary Referral Center (CVRC), we see a spike in emergency visits every year during firework-heavy holidays. Understanding the risks and preparing accordingly can help keep your pets safe, calm, and healthy.

As summer approaches and the weather heats up, many pet owners are eager to enjoy some fun in the sun by the pool. While pools can provide great exercise and enjoyment for both humans and pets, they also present certain hazards. Ensuring your pet's safety around the pool is crucial to preventing accidents and ensuring a fun, stress-free summer. Here’s what you need to know about pet pool safety:

Charleston’s lush coastal beauty brings with it warm weather, vibrant greenery, and tropical landscaping. But did you know that one popular plant in Lowcountry yards could be deadly to your pets? The sago palm (Cycas revoluta), often used in ornamental landscaping, poses a serious, and often fatal, threat to cats and dogs.

There are so many fun outdoor things to do in Charleston, but it's important to know what to do if you and your furry friend encounter one of the wild creatures that also call Charleston home!

Meet Ozzy, a sweet, playful 1-year-old Goldendoodle who recently gave his family (and our team!) quite a scare while vacationing in Charleston.

Heartworm disease is a prevalent, and potentially devastating, disease in the Lowcountry. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes, so the warm weather in this part of the country increases the likelihood of dogs being affected, even if they are predominantly indoors.

Monty is a 5mo M/I yellow lab puppy that was accidentally stepped on by the owner.

We are all compassionate animal lovers doing everything we can to take care of your pet.

Roxanne is a 5mo F/I Rottweiler that was accidentally stepped on by a horse.

During your pet’s cancer treatment, our goal is for them to live as normal a life as possible, and continue to enjoy simple pleasures, such as playing with other pets, walking through the park, and snuggling with you. We believe strongly that a pet’s cancer treatment should never be worse than the cancer itself.

Chipmunk is a 1.3yo F/S lab mix that presented to Charleston Veterinary Referral Center for left front leg lameness after running in the yard. 

Charleston Veterinary Referral Center is excited to be at the forefront of breakthrough technology, and to be able to offer our patients the best care available. When your pet has cancer, we understand that each day is precious, and the most advanced treatments can mean the difference between losing your best friend, and enjoying more time together. Our oncology department is pleased to offer two new cancer treatments to our cancer-fighting arsenal.

Accidental injuries and unforeseen illnesses affect pets daily, and when your pet’s condition could be serious, only the most advanced, comprehensive veterinary care will do. A pet’s condition can also deteriorate rapidly, and having board-certified veterinary specialists on hand to manage potentially life-threatening complications is invaluable.

If you keep up with health and science news, you may have heard the concept of the “microbiome,” and its role in overall well-being. When referring to the gut, the microbiome encompasses a vast diversity of billions of microorganisms—chiefly, bacteria—that live in the gastrointestinal tract.

At Charleston Veterinary Referral Center, our focus and expertise is on stabilizing and treating sick, ill, and critical patients with conditions such as trauma, toxin exposure, gastrointestinal disease, cardiovascular disease, immune-mediated disease, pulmonary disease, neurologic disease, and/or metabolic disease. Among the technology that we use to support the most critical pets is a ventilator. This important piece of equipment allows us to offer the highest level of emergency and critical care, and is required for us to maintain our VECCS Level 1 certification.

As the weather changes, so do the threats to our pets. With warmer weather comes the re-emergence of species that have been dormant during the winter months. South Carolina is home to five of the deadliest snakes in North America, which include the cottonmouth (water moccasin), rattlesnakes (timber rattlesnake, eastern diamondback rattlesnake), copperhead, and coral snake.

If your pet has injured her cranial cruciate ligament (CCL), your family veterinarian may refer you to our surgery department for a tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). This complex surgical procedure is considered the gold standard for CCL disease, and although other surgical options exist, our board-certified veterinary surgeons prefer the TPLO procedure, which is supported in veterinary surgical literature as the technique with the most reliable outcome. 

If your pet has diabetes, you know that regulating her insulin dose can be challenging. Treating a diabetic pet is not simply administering a set dose your veterinarian has prescribed for the rest of her life. Every pet is different, and one pet’s body will respond to an insulin dose differently than another’s. Veterinarians first prescribe a diabetic pet an insulin dose that is appropriate for her weight and disease severity, but then must assess whether that dose is adequately maintaining blood-glucose levels. 

There is a lot of buzz about grain-free diets. Many people have eliminated grains from their own diets for a variety of health reasons, and, wanting the best nutrition for their animals, have selected grain-free diets for their pets as well. Pet food shelves are now full of grain-free options, and finding a food that contains the typical ingredients of wheat or corn is not easy. But, is eliminating an entire food group a good idea?

A pet’s cancer diagnosis can be devastating, but it may not mean a shortened lifespan. Recent advances in veterinary oncology have made many treatment options available that can put a pet’s cancer into remission, or, in some cases, even provide a cure. “Cancer” encompasses a wide variety of different tumors—some that require just surgery to eliminate, and some that require further investigation.

You know we provide 24-hour emergency and critical care to pets, as well as comprehensive specialty care, but did you know we are the only Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS) Level 1 Certified Veterinary Hospital in South Carolina?!

George is an 11 ½ year old Labrador retriever who was referred to the Charleston Veterinary Referral Center's Oncology Department by his primary care veterinarian (and good friend of ours) Dr. Marci Sauls at East Cooper Animal Hospital after being diagnosed with Mast Cell Tumors (MCT) on his front leg/shoulder and an unknown abdominal mass in July of 2018.

Charleston Veterinary Referral Center had many goals when we opened our doors 4 ½ years ago.  The most obvious was to provide the highest level of medical and surgical care, in an environment that put a large emphasis on client experience.  Additional goals included providing education to area veterinarians, veterinary technicians (veterinary nurses) and the pet owning public.  We also wanted to ensure we gave back to the community in a variety of ways.

It gives me great pleasure and enormous pride to introduce this month’s guest writer, Dr. David Sachs. Dr. Sachs is my partner at CVRC. He is also the medical director and the driving force in implementing the many accomplishments in the Center’s never-ending quest for excellence. As you will read about, CVRC has achieved an extraordinary recognition by the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS) as one of only six Level 1 centers in the entire country and the only center of its kind in the region. Dr. Sachs and his team deserve kudos for this impressive accomplishment.

For all of us, understanding and being knowledgeable of the environment we live in allows us to enjoy the beauty while being respectful of the dangers. There is nothing more representative of this statement than the sago palm, a common and ubiquitous member of our surroundings in the Lowcountry. It is an honor this month to introduce Dr. Sean Ellison. Dr. Ellison is an important member of the CVRC Emergency and Critical Care team. He provides us important information about sago palm toxicity.

This month’s case presentation is an example of why thorough and collaborative medical input is so important for successful outcomes. This month’s specialist contributor is Dr. Rachel Seibert. Dr. Seibert is one of CVRCs esteemed board certified surgical specialists. Along with Dr. Sophie Jesty, our board certified cardiologist, you will see how collaboration and expertise allowed this patient to have the best of medical outcomes, in spite of a very complicated and unusual presentation.

It is interesting that different species metabolize substances in various ways. Sometimes, what is a treat in one species can be lethal in another. This is certainly the case for the artificial sweetener Xylitol. This month’s guest contributor is Dr. Lisa Olsen. Dr. Olsen, one of CVRC’s critical care specialists, writes about a very important topic in pets — xylitol poisoning

“Preventive medicine,” a term that most people find synonymous with vaccination, involves much more. Of course, vaccination is a large aspect of preventive medicine, but physical examination, routine lab work and other types of disease prevention are included.